Clam shell two-pin wafer holder for metal plating
a two-pin, metal plating technology, applied in the field of two-pin metal plating wafer holders, can solve the problems of high-voltage scrap and loss of good contact with the wafer for current delivery to the wafer
Active Publication Date: 2012-10-16
TEXAS INSTR INC
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- Summary
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- Application Information
AI Technical Summary
Benefits of technology
The patent describes a wafer holder with a base and lid that can be opened and closed. The lid has two contact pins that align with corresponding contact points on a wafer when closed. The holder is designed to hold a wafer for plating, and the method involves aligning the contact pins with the contact locations on the wafer and securing the lid to the base. The technical effect of this invention is to provide a convenient and efficient way to hold and align wafers for plating.
Problems solved by technology
Pins were seated on the photo resist rather than the metallized contact point (wafer seed metal) or opening of the wafer, resulting in the high voltage scrap.
When the holder metal pins are not seated directly on the wafer contact points, good contact to the wafer is lost for current delivery to the wafer.
Method used
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Embodiment Construction
[0030]According to embodiments, the exemplary wafer holder includes a hinge connecting top and bottom pieces of the holder in a clam shell design. A semiconductor wafer is placed on the bottom piece. The number of contact pins extending from the top piece of the holder has been reduced from four to two. When the clam shell is closed, these pins contact the semiconductor wafer on a diagonal across the wafer. During the plating process, these pins are used to deliver electrical current to wafer seed metal. The holder containing the wafer can be used in conjunction with conventional plating equipment and standard plating processes.
[0031]The exemplary wafer holder increases the pin-to-pin spacing (thereby reducing stress on a wafer) by positioning the two pins in a diagonal configuration rather than in a four-adjacent pin-to-pin configuration. The two-pin configuration improves both on-wafer pin placement / alignment control and pin-to-pin spacing. The exemplary holder can reduce high vol...
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Abstract
A clam shell wafer holder includes a base and a lid pivotally connected with the base by an integral hinge. The base includes a rotatable wafer support, and the lid includes a universal frame and a pin holder attachment spaced inwardly from the frame. Only two contact pins are formed in a wafer-facing surface of the pin holder attachment. The contact pins are manually aligned with and contact two points on a wafer when the lid is closed against the base. A method for holding a wafer for plating is provided using the disclosed holder apparatus.
Description
FIELD[0001]This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 041,351, filed Apr. 1, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety[0002]This invention relates generally to a wafer holder and more particularly to a wafer holder of the type that delivers electrical current to the wafer during a metal plating process, the clam shell two-pin wafer holder having a reduced number of wafer contact pins than known holder designs.BACKGROUND[0003]In integrated circuit fabrication, it is often desirable to plate metal onto the surface of a wafer. The plated metal provides assembly sites on the wafer with a “bump” pad for wire bonding. Plating of wafers is done at a known plating hood in which Cu, Ni, or Pd can be used to plate wafers. Within the hood, the wafer is held by a holder during the plating process. The holder assists in the plating process by supporting the wafer and providing metal pins in contact with a copper seed metal surface ...
Claims
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IPC IPC(8): A47B91/00C25B9/17
CPCH01L21/68721H01L21/68728C25D17/06C25D17/001C25D7/123
Inventor LAW, KENNITH RAYBISKEBORN, RODNEY ALLEN
Owner TEXAS INSTR INC